Average effective age of retirement for men in South Africa
South Africa: Average effective age of retirement for men was 63.1 years in 2018. ▼ Falling
Average effective age of retirement for men in South Africa, 1975–2018
Source: OECD (2018) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average effective age of retirement for men in South Africa is 63.1 years, measured in 2018.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average effective age of retirement for men in South Africa peaked at 72.1 years in 1985 and was at its lowest, 61.9 years, in 2014.
South Africa ranks 40th of 49 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 70.62 years | 70.6 years | 70.7 years | 5 |
| 1980s | 71.41 years | 70.5 years | 72.1 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 67.22 years | 65.1 years | 70.8 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.8 years | 66 years | 68.4 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.83 years | 61.9 years | 66.9 years | 9 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
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- Summer temperature anomalies 1.36 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6318 °C (2026)
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- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.18 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2153 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 209.92 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average effective age of retirement for men in South Africa?
- Average effective age of retirement for men in South Africa was 63.1 years in 2018, according to OECD (2018) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average effective age of retirement for men recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 72.1 years in 1985.
- What is the lowest average effective age of retirement for men recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.9 years in 2014.
- How does South Africa rank for average effective age of retirement for men?
- South Africa ranks 40th out of 49 countries with data for 2018.
- Is average effective age of retirement for men rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2018) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Average effective age of retirement for men. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimates are based on a weighted average of changes in labour force participation rates by age, for workers 40+